"I would advise him not to go" - Phil Taylor urges Luke Littler to avoid BBC Sports Personality of the Year and focus on World Championship preparation

It could be a big few weeks in the life of Luke Littler in the coming month. As the 17-year-old heads to the 2025 World Darts Championships as one of the standout favourites, he is also currently second favourite to win the prestigious BBC Sports Personality of the Year award, something no darter has ever done before.

The closest any dart player ever came to getting recognised by the BBC SPOTY, was when Phil Taylor finished 2nd in the public vote back in 2010, when jockey Tony McCoy took the crown. According to the legendary, 16-time champion of the world though, Littler would be well advised to ignore the hype surrounding the BBC award show and concentrate his efforts fully on the upcoming PDC World Darts Championship.

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"I would advise him not to go on it, " the 64-year-old tells TalkSport, urging Littler to skip visiting the ceremony in person on Tuesday, 17th of December. "I'll be honest. Look there's half a million pound on the table. I wouldn't do anything, you know what I mean."

More than just the £500,000 prize money on offer for winning the PDC World Darts Championship at the Alexandra Palace though, Taylor notes all the extra benefits available to a potential world champion, again urging Littler to remain highly focused on that goal.

"I'd just do a video and say thank you very much if I win and focus," Taylor concludes. "But it isn't just the half a million pound, it's the publicity you'll get, which he doesn't need at the minute, and it's also your spin-offs.

For darts fans looking to back their sporting hero, voting open on the day of the show, where the winner will eventually be announced live on the BBC Sports Personality of the Year show on Tuesday, 17th of December. Viewers in the UK will be able to watch the action and see if Littler claims a famous BBC Sports Personality of the Year and BBC Young Sports Personality of the Year double on BBC One and BBC iPlayer from 19:00 GMT.

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